Chapter 13

"Suzaku Kururugi," Jeremiah Gottwald said to the young man, who sat wearing a straitjacket across the margrave's desk. In the room were loyal Pureblood guards who sneered at the young man with disgust. The margrave pulled a duffle bag on the desk before he unzipped it. "This is yours isn't it." He pulled out what looked to be a sharp metal pole, and a miniature lighter. "Even as an Honorary Britannian soldier, you aren't granted access to firearms. No doubt you improvised with whatever scraps you had to rob His Highness's life like the barbaric your people are!" Suzaku's eyes widened at that. "And we've done our homework on you. You're the eldest child of Japan's last acting prime minister, are you not? Your motive here is clear."

"You're making a mistake!" Suzaku protested. "I've never seen a gun like that in my life!"

In response, a pureblood kicked the youth's chair, sending him to the floor.

"Your fingerprints showed up on it. You are also suspected of murdering members of the Royal Guard." Jeremiah looked down at the youth. "Admit it. Do it now and you'll be judged as an honorary Britannian instead of as an Eleven."

"I didn't do it!" Suzaku denied again, only to earn a kick to the face.

Lamperouge Residence

"That was Suzaku they mentioned on the news, wasn't it?" Nunnally asked as Lelouch lifted her from her wheelchair and into her bed.

"Yeah, it looks like he's still alive," Lelouch said, though while proud his long-last friend had survived, his current situation did little to ease him.

"Yeah. We've been apart since the war ended. Even we..." Nunnally took hold of her brother's hand. "Big brother?"

"What?" Lelouch asked.

"The news wasn't true, was it?" The girl's face twisted with grave concern.

"It wasn't," Lelouch put a smile. "Suzaku would never do anything like that. It's some kind of mistake." He was honest with those words… he knew for sure… because the youth himself had done the very dead.

"Yeah... it must be." Nunnally start to look saddened.

"Right. So... good night, Nunnally." Lelouch watch her sister sleep while holding her hand.

"That's why we should have issued a statement sooner!" Tamaki yelled as he pointed at the tv screen displaying about the Clovis's death. "We could've claimed credit for it!"

While this was happening, Ohgi could hung his head and sigh, once more looking at the picture of him, Kallen, and Naoto. "Naoto… I'm just not cut for this. I'm no leader."

The executor

"It seems like suzaku has been accused of murdering clovis." Starkiller said.

"Could be so…" Kainand said. "To prevent mass panic."

"What about this boy? This… Suzaku Kururugi?"

"You think he might be innocent?" Kainand asked.

"Well, we don't know the whole story," Arkainus said. "And if you hope he is innocent… it won't be up to us. That is if we would still keep us floating on this Star Destroyer." He knows how will the plot go so he would be showing up for the right time.

Camelot Division

"We've lost the our most essential part," Lloyd said with a regretful sigh, as he and Cecile looked at the engineers looking over the Lancelot.

"Can we do it without him?" Cecile asked.

"I wish. We can't get a replacement pilot for love or money, and even if we could, they wouldn't get readings like he did. He had an operational efficiency clocked at 94 percent. How do we replace that?" Lloyd said.

"Then you should tell them to release suzaku!" Cecile almost exclaimed.

"He's an Honorary Britannian, right?" Lloyd shook his head. "Ever since General Bartley's disgrace, the Purebloods have been in control of the military.

Ashford academy

"Purebloods?" Shirley look at lelouch.

"They say only pureblood britannians should serve in the britannian family." Lelouch said.

"According to them, the guilty party can't be from the britannian military. But if the criminal is an Eleven, they'll accept Margrave Jeremiah's demands ane shut down the entire system of granting elevens the status of honorary britainnian." Lloyd said.

"And what about suzaku?" Cecile is worried about him.

"I doubt there is anyway they'll find him innocent." Lloyd said.

Ashford Academy

The assembly ended, and Lelouch was making his way outside along with the other students.

"Hey Lelouch!" Rivalz said as he patted his shoulder. "You got anything going later. Classes have been canceled today, and folks have been asking for a rematch!"

"Oh, no, no!" Shirley protested. "You are not gambling again!"

"Oh, c'mon," Rivalz said. "Don't be such a stick in the mud."

"She's right, though," Lelouch said. "Maybe it is time to quit."

"Huh?" Both Rivalz and Shirley said.

"I've found a better opponent actually."

"You did?" Shirley said. "I don't get it?"

"You're cutting me in the action too, right?" Rivalz asked.

Lelouch laughed. "Better not, it's really not up your alley." Lelouch then saw Kallen walking away, and he knew exactly where she was going.

Ashford Academy

The assembly ended, and Lelouch was making his way outside along with the other students.

Rivalz said as he patted his shoulder. "Lelouch, what are you up to later? We shouldn't waste a day of from Classes, and people have been asking for somekind of rematch..."

Shirley protested. "Don't you dare go gambling!"

Rivalz said. "Gimme a break."

"She's right," Lelouch said. "I'm through with that."

"Huh?!" Rivalz confused.

"I've found a better opponent."

"What?" Shirley said. "What do you mean?"

"Then let me in, too!" Rivalz asked.

Lelouch laughed. "You'd Better not, it's not your sort of game." Lelouch then saw Kallen walking away, and he knew exactly where she was going.

Tokyo Tower

At the tower… well it much of a tower when half of it's top was gone, broken during the Second Pacific War. The tower had become a museum in testament of Britannia's conquest of Japan, with displayed items, photos, and videos detailing Britannia's occupation and the willing cooperation of the Eleven population. It was enough not only to make Kallen puke but also made her want to find a new Glasgow and rip everything to bits. She was not only one having the same feelings as she looked around, as not far from her, trying to mingle with the other tourists, were Ohgi, Sugiyama, and Yoshida.

Kallen heard her name was announced for lose of her belongings so she go to the counter, she was handed a phone. Kallen was confused at first but her instinct tell her this must be important so she take the phone and thank the lady.

Karen see the name was written in the phone. "Zero?"

Kallen see the phone rings, she answered the phone "Yes. Hello?"

"Ride the outer tracks of the loop line number five. Bring your friends." Lelouch explained his own plan on the phone below the tokyo tower.

Consul's Office

"His Highness's memorial program was handed very well," Jeremiah said while sitting at the consul's desk, with Kewell and Villetta on both sides, as he looked to Diethard Reed. "A bit too weepy for my tastes, but…"

"Your Exellency, the masses enjoy a tearjerker." Diethard replied.

"Spoken like a true TV man." Jeremiah smiled. "Still, I have acknowledge your skills. You did well in the short time you had. You did well in thw short time you had. One would also think you were expecting his highness to die."

"I'm afraid It's quite common to have memorial programs prepared for important poeple." Diethard bowed.

"For me as well?" Jeremiah raised an eyebrow.

"After this, we may make one for you, your excellency. "

"Meaninv I wasn't important enough to rate one untill now." The margrave looked amused. "How honest of you!"

"I'm afraid so."

"Feel like enjoying the army?" The margrave suggested. "We have a need information officers."

"I have ro admit that I'm not up to that job." Diethard shook his head. "It's not for me."

"You prefer a civilian network? No matter, I have another favor to ask of you. Tomorrow night, Suzaku Kururugi will be transferred to his court-martial."

"Let's get a lot of patriotic Britannians to line the roadside."

Jeremiah smiled. "It's helpful you catch on quickly. Be sure his face can be seen in the convoy."

"Lord Jeremiah," Villetta said. "There are some among the Elevens who have made Private Kururugi as a hero. Some grouos may even even be thinking of freeing him."

"I'll be providing security personally in my Sutherland." Jeremiah assured. "If any troublemakers showed up, I'll executed them on the spot."

As the train started moving a while, the phone Kallen was given started to ring.

She opened it and put it to her ear. "Hello."

Ohgi see kallen answering the phone.

"Face forward and look to your right." Kallen look to the right. "What do you see?"

"The Britannian City. A stolen city, built on our sacrifices." Kallen said.

"Now look left." Kellen look to the keft and see a ruin city, the side displaying ghettos of ruined broken buildings.

"I see our city. The city made by britannia squeezing us dry." Kallen said.

"Good answer. Alright come to the forward car." Kallen is surprised but she proceed to the next car.

Ohgi see this tell his team to move to follow kallen.

Kallem arrived at thr front car and stooped her tracks. The others see this also stop. Kallen see the man in a costume facing backward to them. "Was it you?" Kallen ask.

"This isn't a trap, is it?"

The people in the train have red rings in their eyes. They have been controlled by lelouch usinh his geass.

"Tell us! Was it you in shinjuku? Was the cease fire-order your deoing, too?" Kallen ask.

"Hey! Say something!"

The lights are turned off. The man turn, his appearance almost startled them. His appearance looked classic and intimidating… at the same time. His mask was smoothly shaped and round, almost curved with black spikes at the top. His black cape was line with golden lines that was styled like a vampire's cape.

"Well? What were your impression's of this tour of settlement?" Said the mask man.

"Tour?" Ohgi is confused.

"Hey, it couldn't have been this joker!"

"I wanted you to have a true appreciation of them." He spread his arms. "Of the settlement and the ghetto!"

Ohgi move forward. "Yes, there's a difference between us and the britannian's! A desperate difference! That's wahy we fight as the resistance!"

"You're wrong." Mask man said shocking them. "Terrorism will not defeat britannia!"

"Defeat?" Ohgi ask.

"Terrorism is merely a child nuisance." Mask man said.

"Whta was that?"

"Are you saying we're just kids?!"

"Don't mistake your enemy. It isn't the britannian people, but Britannia itself!" The man said.

They shocked of what the man said.

"What you need to fight is a war! Without involving the civilians! Make up your minds! Take the lath of rightousness!" Zero declared what he said to them.

"Don't be absurd! It's easy to say whatever you want!" Kallen thinks it is impossible to fight the britannian, let alone a war. "As if we could trust someone who won't even show us his face!"

"She's right!"

"Take of your mask!"

"Yeah. Will you show us your face or not?"

"Very well I'll show you." The mask man was about to reveal himself, they are going to see his face. "However, what I'll show you won't be my face, but rather my power! I'll show you that the impossible is possible, you'll trust me, won't you?"

Japan Liberation Front Headquarters

"He killed The Britannia prince !" Lieutenant Colonel Kusakabe cried out. "Suzaku Kururugi should be treated as a hero!"

"But's he's an Honorary Britannian!"

"Isn't he the son of the latePrime Minister Kururugi?"

"The man who gave up japan! The people don't know about him!"

"The Shinjuku incident was the work of Kozuki's group, wasn't it?" General Katase asked.

"Yes, General." Kusakabe answered. "They're currently being led by a man named Kaname Ohgi."

"Has Kururugi's family said anything?" Katase asked.

"No, sir. They broke contact with him after he joined the military." Another member said.

Katase then turned the man who stood far from the group. A man who was his best and the one who all the Japanese look up to. Tohdoh, the Miracle Worker. "Your thoughts, Tohdoh?"

Tohdoh opened his eyes. "We have no duty to join him in a public execution."

"Such cowardice!" Kusakabe exclaimed. "Are you really Tohdoh, the Miracle Worker?"

"There is a difference between a miracles with foolishness!" Tohdoh said. He haven't lost care for his former student but to act without thinking to save his life it could cost them everything.

"Congratulations!" Lloyd said ecstatically as he talked to Suzaku in his prison cell. "Those two you asked me about weren't on casualty the list"

Suzaku's weary face lit up a bit. He then said. "I see."

"But your not having much luck on your end." Lloyd said, almost a bit regretfully. "You may be getting a trial, but nobody's on your side."

"But trials are where the truth is made clear." Suzaku said.

"I think there'll be more obscuring going on there." Lloyd sighed. "There's a precious lack of truth... "

Suzaku almost shook his head in disbelief. Despite Lloyd and Cecile's witness and account of monitoring the Lancelot, there had to a be a degree to show Suzaku couldn't have been nowhere near Clovis's location. Not when he was dealing with the terrorists and rogue knightmares.

"If you tell me how the world works, then... I don't regret leaving it!" Suzaku said, now resigned to his fate.

The Executor

Arkainus and almost all of the personal starkiller, kainand, and other officers watched the holographic image of the media broadcasted by Diethard's crew, broadcasting the event taking place on the streets of the Tokyo Settlement. Hundreds of Brtiannians citizens lined both sides of the empty road, just waiting.

"Any moment. Any moment now!" Said the announcer. "Just look at the crowds lining the route. All of them, waiting! Waiting for the man accused of killing Prince Clovis. Waiting for honorary Britannian and former Eleven, Suzaku Kururugi to pass by! Waiting for the former Eleven!"

Arkainus crossed his arms. The more they talk with detail, made this event a pathetic fiasco. He already watch the code geass series but watch it in real life makes it more realistic and more cooler.

News Van.

"Camera Five's slow. Charles?" Diethard instructed while in the van with the other crew members overseeing the event. "Have you got your crowd set up? Huh? The studio? Let' em wait. There's no delay. Everything's going as planned. Here he comes..."

Soon, the image of Suzaku wearing both a straitjacket and collar, on his knees and escorted by Sutherlands piloted by the Purebloods.

"I… I can see it!" The announcer said. "It's kururugi, the suspect! Suzaku Kururugi will be here soon!"

"There, you see? This sham…" Diethard looked down a bit, almost shamefully. "I'm as corrupt as any of them.

"Murderer! Scum! Damned eleven! We want our prince back!"

Camelot Division

Cecile protested as she and Lloyd watched the broadcast. "But we know that Suzaku is innocent!"

"The court deemed our testimony inadmissible," Lloyd said regretfully. "It can't be helped."

"But…"

"Say, would that be altruism or humanitarianism?" Lloyd turned to his assistant curiously.

"You're playing a word games at a time like this?" Cecile snapped.

"Is there anything else I can do?" Lloyd shrugged. "You know where this case is headed as well as I do. And we can't contact our patron while he's at the summit. All we can do is let this whole thing go."

Ashford Academy

The student council minus Lelouch and Kallen watched the broadcast from their meeting room.

"Voices of resentment! Voices of anger, growing louder. Voices giving proof of the love prince's people for him! Righteous voices which judge the terrorist!"

Lamperouge Residence

Nunnally sat in her room alone while listing to the radio in her hands, looking very concerned.

"Suzaku!" Nunnally cried out. First her half-brother Clovis is killed, and now the boy she had grown to care for many years ago was going to be executed. Why does the world have to be so cruel?

"Margrave Jeremiah, whose personal efforts help to settle this case, will be directing the trial as acting console!"

"There's now way just the three of them can do this!" Tamaki voiced with skepticism.

'But still, he told us. That he could make the impossible possible.' Ohgi said and he thought. 'He told us he'd do it! That he'd save suzaku kururugi.'

"That's right. I don't need a path to fall back upon." Lelouch look at his mask and put in on.

"Acting Console Jeremiah!" Jeremiah heard on his com.

"What is it?"

"Vehicle approaching the main highway from Third street. We let it through as instructed, but…"

"Do you you think the target is a terrorist vehicle?"

"Well, sir… it's Prince Clovis's car."

"The prince's?!" Jeremiah widened his eyes, before looking amused. "This guy's a joker. Never mind. Let him through to us. All forces, halt!"

With both the Sutherlands and transport stopped, confusing Suzaku and everyone.

"They stopped they really did it?"

"Heh, it's a coincidence!" Tamaki said.

"But he said jeremiah would do that because he likes being the center of attention..."

"Coimcidence!" Tamaki retorded.

"No stop was scheduled here." The announcer said. "Could there have been some sort of accident?"

"This is site five! There is another vehicle approaching them!" Another reporter said.

Soon, coming in the direction of Suzaku and the Purebloods… everyone looked baffled and stunned to see what appeared to be Prince Clovis's car.

"It's… It's Prince Clovis's personal transport!"

"Can you see it? It's headed towards you!"

"Impossible! He's coming straight at them!"

"What's he planning?" Ohgi thought in his sutherland.

"Will they reallt but this fake?" Kallen sweata nd grit her teeth.

Kallen reccaled back the memory he meet the man with ohgi only. They need more time to think of joining him but he said the two of them are enough. Kallen is angry he wants them ti fight against the britannian army and their sutherlands but he said he had a plan that will work.

"Get out." Jeremiah growled. "You who dare to spoil his highsness's transport!"

The vehicle stopped in response to that. Then all of a sudden, the Britannian Flag at the top of the vehicle was burned away… to reveal a lone figure wearing both a mask and cape. The burning of the symbol and the sight of the man caused everyone to gasp.

"I am… Zero!"

The Executor

"Zero?" Starkiller questioned. Everyone on the bridge looked in confusion at the masked man on the holographic screen.

"That's his name?" Kainand said.

"His name is a number?"

"Is that supposed to mean… he's nothing?"

"It sounds ridiculous."

Arkainus looked very closely at the masked man now calling himself Zero. Even though his face was hidden, the dark lord could tell using the late Clovis's car and the burning of the Britannian flag that his motives were not in line with Britannia.

'Ah you are finally here lelouch, now let the show begin.' Robert smirk behind his mask.